Exported deforestation in New Zealand

New Zealand: Exported deforestation was 13,511 hectares in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
13,511 hectares
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
17th
of 178 countries
All-time high
14,850 hectares
in 2020
All-time low
2,532 hectares
in 2013
Years of data
19
2005–2023

Exported deforestation in New Zealand, 2005–2023

2.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k12.5k15.0k2005201420232005: 3.0k hectares2006: 3.7k hectares2007: 4.7k hectares2008: 5.6k hectares2009: 5.1k hectares2010: 5.4k hectares2011: 4.4k hectares2012: 3.3k hectares2013: 2.5k hectares2014: 2.7k hectares2015: 3.7k hectares2016: 6.7k hectares2017: 9.7k hectares2018: 12.2k hectares2019: 14.3k hectares2020: 14.8k hectares2021: 14.4k hectares2022: 13.7k hectares2023: 13.5k hectares

Source: Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.

Analysis

The most recent figure for exported deforestation in New Zealand is 13,511 hectares, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of down 1.2% on the previous year and up 433.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exported deforestation in New Zealand peaked at 14,850 hectares in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2,532 hectares, in 2013.

That places New Zealand 17th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4,428 hectares 3,024 hectares 5,581 hectares 5
2010s 6,492 hectares 2,532 hectares 14,294 hectares 10
2020s 14,097 hectares 13,511 hectares 14,850 hectares 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 14 Ghana 23,815 hectares compare
  2. 15 Argentina 21,173 hectares compare
  3. 16 Thailand 17,112 hectares compare
  4. 18 Mexico 13,005 hectares compare
  5. 19 Philippines 12,381 hectares compare
  6. 20 Tanzania 11,149 hectares compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More environment data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is exported deforestation in New Zealand?
Exported deforestation in New Zealand was 13,511 hectares in 2023, according to Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exported deforestation recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 14,850 hectares in 2020.
What is the lowest exported deforestation recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 2,532 hectares in 2013.
How does New Zealand rank for exported deforestation?
New Zealand ranks 17th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
Is exported deforestation rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 433.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this New Zealand data come from?
The figures come from Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exported deforestation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Exported deforestation
Unit
hectares
Source
Singh et al. (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
178 places, 3,320 data points, 2005–2023
Last refreshed

Exported deforestation is the amount of annual deforestation that is driven by the production of food and forestry products that are exported for consumption in other countries. This is measured in hectares.